Elon Musk begins ‘robotaxi’ production

Tesla’s much-touted autonomous “robotaxi”, called the Cybercab, has started production, CEO Elon Musk said on Friday, a day after the carmaker reported first-quarter profits that beat expectations.

Musk posted a promotional video on X, accompanied by the brief caption, “Cybercab has started production.”

The 38-second clip, mostly shot from within a driverless Cybercab, showed the vehicle rolling off the factory floor and driving onto streets.

Musk also shared a short video clip showing what appeared to be multiple gold-colored Cybercabs driving in formation on a road.

Tesla said on Wednesday it was on track to commence “volume production” of both its Cybercab and Tesla Semi this year, after reporting first-quarter profits of $477 million.

Cybercab — billed as a self-driving robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals — was first unveiled in the fall of 2024, with Musk predicting at the time that it would become available in 2027.

Tesla began offering robotaxi services to “early access” users on an invitation-only basis in Austin, Texas, last June.

The auto manufacturer posted a photo in February showing employees gathered around a Cybercab on a factory floor, with the caption “First Cybercab off the production line at Giga Texas.”

AFP

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